Jaw adjusting device for pipe wrenches



June 21, 1949.

R. A. CONN JAW ADJUSTINQDEVICE FOR PIPE WRENCHEFS Filed July 5, 1947 V ,I (a? Inventor mom: A. com

By pk Attorney Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED JS PATENT OFFICE UAW "ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR PIPE WRENCHE S 'Raymond Alexander Conn, Springfield, Nova Scotia, -.Canada Application July's, 1947, Serial No. 759,186

yet allowing of their simple and rapid 'readjust- 1 ment.

An'object of the-invention is to provide a pipe wrench of the character described wherein the adjustable andloosely pivoted jaw isheld in adjusted position *by a spring urged *b'olt subject to retraction by a lever member conveniently located in the handle of the wrench.

A further-object ofthe invention is the ,provision of a bolt locking mechanism for the 'adjustable and loosely pivoted jaw "that is free to teeter without danger of binding, as the loose jaw hinges.

A still further object :of the invention is the provision of a fast acting wrench :of the nature and for the purpose described, that is characterized by structural simplicity, durability, ease of operation and positive action and that being capable of manufacture at reasonable cost is thereby rendered commercially ol'esirable.

'L'Io .the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the head thereof with the side plate removed to expose the jaw-locking bolt and its actuating mechanism; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the wrench head, along the line 33 of Figure 2, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The tool consists essentially of a handle member, one end of which serves as the fixed jaw; a

'movable jaw slidable with respect thereto and a locking device engageable with said movable jaw to hold it in the desired adjustment. Though useable to hold nuts, bolt heads and the like, this wrench is primarily intended as a pipe wrench and so the movable jaw is supported in such manner as to afiord it a limited hinging action with respect to the fixed jaw whereby a tighten- 2 ing grip is obtainable on a'pipe or similar article. It is to allow the jaws this relative hinging'and provide a novel and ingenious locking mechanism iorsuch movable jaw operable'in the 'handleof the wrench, that the instant invention is particularly directed.

The handle 5 which may-have an'open iace'd recess or be formed in laterally separable halves, is shown in the illustrated embodiment as having a solid stock anda lock-accommodating,'Z-shaped recess '6 near its-upper end normally covered by aiace plate 7. :Beyond the recess, the handle part isterminally widened to'provide the integral fixed jaw '8.

Straddling the handle'5, just belowthe jaw head 8, and opposite the open upper end of the Z- shaped recess 6, is a guide yoke 9 in which the L-shaped movable jaw IE is slidable longitudin'ally, substantially parallel with the handle "5, and with its gripping head'overlying and confronting the fixed jawB in-the usual relationship. The spaced arms of the yoke "9 disposed-over opposite'sides of wrench stock 5 are hingedl-y'connected thereto I by a transverse pivot such as the bolt and nut assembly I I. The hinging or teetering this yoke is allowed is limited by the projecting angular shoulders I! above and below it on the Wrench handle 5.

To accommodate the stem of the movable jaw in, slidable through it, the saddle or guide yoke 9 has a vertical passageway l4 and also a communicating horizontal passageway I5 approximately midway thereof that is extended vertically in both directions as it meets the former one. The inner edge of the shank of this movable jaw I0 is toothed as at It for normal engagement by a similarly toothed bolt ll accommodated in the horizontal passageway l5; the vertical extension of the passageway being to receive the enlarged toothed head of the bolt. The inner end of the bolt stem is increased in height and provided with a longitudinal slot I8 to pass the pivot bolt H, the slot having considerably more height than the diameter of the pivot since the bolt I? besides being retractable horizontally must move vertically when the guide yoke hinges.

An L-shaped lever l9 with its toe 2t protruding through the open lower end of the plate-covered Z-shaped recess 6 in the handle, rises vertically in the accommodating pocket and pivotally connects at its upper end to the inner end of the stem of the locking bolt I! by a rivet pin 2| or the like. About midway of its height the lever has an elongated vertical slot 22 by which it slides and teeters on a transverse pin 23.

A leaf spring 24, anchored at its upper end as in the underside of the fixed jaw 8, normally bears against the inner end of the stem of the locking bolt ll, serving to hold it securely in engagement with the toothed stem of the sliding jaw l0.

This wrench is particularly easy to use because the control of the adjustable jaw is located well down in the handle and within convenient reach of the hand of the user holding the tool. It is only necessary with the thumb of the right hand, supporting the tool, to depress the lever toe or button 2i] and with the left hand to close the jaws to fit the work and then release the right thumb pressure on the button 20 to have the wrench instantly adjusted. As the wrench is rotated, the movable jaw Ill and its guide yoke 9 hinge slightly, tightening the grip of the jaws on the pipe or work engaged but such hinging is not interfered with by the novel locking mechanism since the stern of the lock bolt I1 is so slotted as to allow plenty of clearance with the pivot ll and its inner end can slide freely along the length of the engaging leaf spring 24 while the lever l9 is free to move vertically on the pin 23 and the opening at the lower end of the recess 6 has adequate height for the lever toe or button 2i! to ride in.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a handy pipe wrench capable of simple and rapid adjustment is provided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrictive sense.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe wrench comprising a handle, a fixed jaw on an end thereof, a guide yoke hingedly connected by a transverse pivot to said handle near the fixed jaw end thereof, a movable jaw slidable in said guide yoke, a spring-urged bolt engageable with said jaw, slidably supported in said guide yoke and extending into said handle, said bolt being slotted to encompass the guide yoke pivot permitting it to both slide and hinge with its supporting guide yoke, a lever housed in said handle and longitudinally slotted approximately midway of its length and having its upper end pivotally attached to the inner end of said bolt and its lower end protruding from said handle, and a transversely disposed pivot pin extending through the slot in said lever on which said lever may both slide and teeter.

2. A pipe wrench comprising a handle, a fixed jaw on an end thereof, a Z-shaped recess in said handle opening through to one side of said handle just under said fixed jaw and also well down on the opposite side of said handle, a closure plate normally covering said recess, a guide yoke pivoted to said handle opposite the upper end opening of said recess, a movable jaw slidable in said guide yoke, a spring-urged bolt slidable in said guide yoke and having one end portion normally engaging said movable jaw, its other end portion extending into said recess, a sliding and teetering lever housed in said recess, pivotally attached at its upper end to said bolt and having a toe at its lower end protruding through the lower side opening of the recess in said handle.

RAYMOND ALEXANDER CONN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,056,587 Roubinek Mar. 18, 1913 1,371,873 Dillon Mar. 15, 1921 1,999,076 Bauman et a1. Apr. 23, 1935 

